The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-09-01
CHARMING NIAGARA.
A Few Words About the Neighborhood
of the Famous Falls,

A Few Words About the Neighborhood
of the Famous Falls.
While hundreds of tourists visit the
Falls of Niagara every season. not one
in thousand actually sees the river.
But with the freeing of Niagara,
celebrated by New York State and Can
ada. July Is. 1885, 'the river expert
enced new birth. Hereafter. in the
true spirit of this international bond,
the traveller, having enjoyed restored
nature at the points comprised within
the limits of the International Park
Survey. may explore Niagara river to
where, actually freed from its high,
PERCEPTIONS mural boundaries, it pours
the waters of our upper inland seas
into the broad Ontario. Here cul-
inmates the historic interest of the
Niagara frontier, as at the Whirlpool
modern rock-readings tell us to seek
clew to its geological past. For of few
other rivers may it be said that they
have a threefold charm, appealing
alike to artist, historian and man of
science.
True lovers of Niagara hope that the
day is not far distant when the Inter-
national Park will consist of not merely
q mile strip on the American bank, but
a grand double boulevard, running
from Buffalo to Youngstown. and on
the Canadian cliffs from the Horseshoe
Falls to Queenston. AS site for
country villas, Lewiston Ridge. with
the unnumbered beautiful drives in its
neighborhood and its picturesque his
torical associations, must, as the cities
of Western New York grow in wealth
and population, become not less famous
than the cliffs of Newport.
Below the cataract, the Niagara, al
though comparatively few tourists dis
cover this fact, has beauty and
grandeur no less imposing than the falls
mighty plunge of 165 feet, the river
goes surging and tossing downward an
other 104 feet in its rocky bed over the
obliterated falls of a preglacial stream.
still perceptible in the whirlpool Rapids.
At the Whirlpool the river untwists it
self like some mighty serpent from its
sinuous contortions in this concave
prison. to pour itself an emerald-green
wave into channel at right angles with
its former course, and henceforth trends
northeast with many gentle curve.
Not until we reach Lewiston Ridge
DO we turn our backs on the Niagara's
stupendous exhibition of power. From
this heighth, described by Father
Charlevois as "a frightful mountain
which hides itself in clouds on which
the Titans might attempt to scale the
heavens" is a view worthy the expan-
sive canvas of Bierstadt. The table
land terminates abruptly in an escarp-
ment. Beneath stretch boundless
meadowlands as rich as any in agricul
tural England. They slope gently to
the river, which. coming headlong down
the gorge, with the leap and roar of the
Whirlpool upon it, gradually subsidies
into tranquil stream as the bold out
lines of the banks above Lewiston fall
away into broad, smiling plains. Across
the gorge is the Bunker Hill of Canada,
crowned by its lofty shaft. Few monu-
ments in the world have so imposing an
effect in the landscape as the lonely
form of Brock towering in the blue
clouds tar above the heights of Queen
ston.
Ncatling under the shadow of her
mountain is Lewiston, so named in
1906 for Governor Morgan Lewis, of
New York. At the extreme north, be-
yond the village of Youngstown, and
commanding the angle at the headland
of river and lake, we descry the whole
ramparts of Fort Niagara, whence the
gallant Pouchot, begirt with enemies,
looked out in 1853, vainiy attempting to
discover moving among the trees the
battalions of his allies from the Detroit
river. Exactly opposite Fort Niagara
lies flair Newark, once gay, rich and
beautiful" presenting to the waters
edge her ancient front of crumbling
fortresses and gray church towers
Jane Meade WEIGH, IN Harper's Maya
zine